A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrangement of sequentially configured packer J tools for one trip sequential setting of packer tools and for subsequent one trip sequential release of the tools.
B. Description of the Prior Art
In order to fully exploit natural gas and other well systems, it is often necessary to perform separate operations on multiple zones within the same well. Using either lateral drilling or perforation zones in the well, various depth wells can be exploited. Packer tools are used to separate the zones from each other. The packers are run into the well and are axially compressed to radially expand an elastomeric rubber packer element outwardly into contact with the casing wall to seal the zone above the packer tool from the zone below the packer element. It is typically necessary to run in more than one packer tool to separate the well into a plurality of zones.
Due to the subterranean location of the well and the lack of feasible direct access by the operator to the area where the packer tools are to be set, the packer tools must be set by manipulating the tubing string or wire-line used to insert the packer tools. The basic available motions available to set, manipulate, and release the tools include sitting the string down (i.e., lowering the tubing) to put the tubing in compression, lifting the tubing to add tension, rotating the tubing left or right, or a combination of these movements.
The use of J tools such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,547 to Morgan, which is incorporated herein by reference, has provided one solution to setting and releasing tools by providing a cooperating pin in a J shaped slot. By pushing down and rotating the string in the appropriate direction, the follower pin is moved from the running position, to a crossover position, or to a setting position. Until a second compound motion resets the J tool, simple rotation or compression or tension will not upset the packer tool locked in its particular position. This has allowed packer tools to be run into well bores and set very accurately in position at great depths below the surface. Once in place, the packer tool can be released from the tubing string, and the tubing string can be retrieved to the surface. Multiple packer tools can be inserted into the well as needed by running the tubing string into the well bore casing setting a packer tool in position during each trip.
However, it is very time consuming and inefficient to run the tubing string hundreds or even thousands of feet over and over to set the various packer tools into position. It is desirable to run in a single trip a number of packer tools into a well and release the packer tools sequentially from the bottom most to the top most without having to withdraw the tubing string between subsequent packer tool positionings. The current invention provides a novel arrangement and method for accomplishing the sequential setting and/or retrieval of multiple packer tools into a well casing during a single trip.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.